Book Review: Beauty and the Baron (Forever After Retellings #1) by Joanna Barker

July 21, 2025June 20, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★★
Audience: Historical Romance Novella
Length: 121 pages
Author: Joanna Barker
Publisher: Love Letter Press
Release Date: January 15th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A penniless maid determined to save her father, a broken baron bent on isolation, and the undeniable draw between them that will lead to happiness—or disaster.

Rose Sinclair has run out of options. With her father in prison and their bookshop sold to pay his debts, she has no choice but to turn to Henry Covington, the Baron Norcliffe. But the baron has more than earned his harsh reputation, and Rose must face his wrath in order to save her father—and herself.

Since the deaths of his parents, Henry Covington has isolated himself from society, ensuring the solitude of his estate with his deliberate callousness. However, when the beautiful Miss Sinclair appears on his doorstep, begging for a chance to repay her father’s debt to him, a moment of weakness finds him offering her a position—as a maid in his own house.

They both soon learn that first impressions are not to be believed. Henry is surprised—and intrigued—by Rose’s optimistic charm, while Rose slowly uncovers Henry’s true self, his compassion concealed behind the pain of loss and betrayal. But when a shadow from Henry’s past returns, their newfound hope is tested. They must decide for themselves who to trust—and what they will risk for their happily ever after.

Beauty and the Baron is a Regency retelling of Beauty and the Beast. It is a sweet/clean romance novella, and is Book 1 in a series of Regency retellings. The stories can be read in any order.

SHORT & SWEET.

What a sweet novella! I am trying to cross off books on Joanna Barker’s backlist and this was such a good quick read.

I liked the plot and even with a fast pace the romance was well developed. These were two characters both looking to change their circumstances and exhibited nice character arcs that had me rooting for them. I loved the direction the last act took and the heartfelt sincerity of connection between Henry and Rose.

Overall audience notes:

Historical Romance Novella
Language: none
Romance: kisses

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Book Review: Wes and Addie Had Their Chance by Bethany Turner

July 19, 2025July 4, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Bethany Turner
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Wes left Addie at the altar two decades ago . . . and that was supposed to be the end of the story.

When her life crashes and burns in a flurry of secrets and redacted information, Addie Atwater-Elwyn hightails it home to the tiny mountain town of Adelaide Springs, Colorado–back to living with her dad, back to working a low-paying job, back to a life of disappointments. Growing up, nobody expected their local girl to become a high-ranking CIA analyst, married to a gorgeous CIA operative. But that was Addie’s life until she lost . . . well, everything.

Now she’s trying to pick up the pieces of her broken life with a little help from old friends. But there’s one old friend she knows her life is better without–Wesley Hobbes, her childhood sweetheart who left her standing at the altar when they were eighteen years old. Truth be told, Addie would be perfectly content never seeing Wes’s stupid face ever again–which makes it very inconvenient that he’s now a beloved senator and presidential frontrunner, his face everywhere she looks. But that has nothing to do with Addie personally. He might make history, but in her book, he is history.

So, when the unwelcome Wes appears back in their hometown, no one rolls out the red carpet–not Addie and not an entire town that was forced to pick sides (and unanimously chose Addie) decades ago. Senator Hobbes certainly won’t win the popular vote in Adelaide Springs.

Wes, meanwhile, is sitting on a few secrets of his own, including the political scoop of the decade: he’d seriously rather gouge his eyes out than spend another minute in politics, much less ever go anywhere near the White House. Addie knows there has to be more to the story, and her curiosity is clouding her judgment. You can take the girl out of the CIA, but it’s not so easy to shake the CIA out of the girl. Of course, it’s not just curiosity (and the acknowledgement that his face isn’t so stupid after all) that’s been reawakened inside her. But after more than two decades, it’s too late. Wes and Addie already had their chance. Right?

Thank you to Thomas Nelson and Bibliolifestyle for the gifted copy.

NOT SURE.

This is definitely my least favorite of the series AND on that note, this book really can’t be read as a standalone. I feel like it falls on you knowing the secondary characters well (from their books) so having that knowledge makes the dynamic make more sense.

I steadily watched this turn into a trauma dump. It felt like one thing after another and I kept quirking my head going, why are we adding this?? I think if the focus had been dialed in more the emotional impact would have been better. The themes darted all over the place.

One of the things about reading romance books is always going, do they make it after the epilogue? And honestly I DON’T KNOW THAT THEY DO. There’s so much baggage between them and I think that Wes should have finished going after his dream *spoiler* before settling? Is that just me?

Anyways, bummed by this one but maybe a new series will work for me.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: none
Romance: kisses
Violence: mild
Content warnings: loss of a spouse (twice, recounted), loss of a parent (recounted), alcoholism, grief

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Book Review: This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

July 18, 2025June 20, 2024 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 320 pages
Author: Carley Fortune
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: May 7th, 2024
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

This summer they’ll keep their promise. This summer they won’t give into temptation. This summer will be different.

Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again.

It’s easier said than done.

Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again.

If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it.

When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.

HIGHLY FRUSTRATING.

This started off really strong. I was hopeful, and even with a one night stand trope I was okay with the initial chemistry between the main characters.

What bugged me was the fact that it felt like the story was more focused on the best friend. The way she kept dragging out her *secret* drove me up a wall. It didn’t add intrigue, it just upset me. And the third act??? I literally shouted ARE YOU KIDDING ME when it happened.

I will say there’s good swoony moments that I did enjoy, and I loved Felix the most. The summertime vibes are there at least and the audiobook production is solid.

Overall audience notes:

Contemporary Romance
Language: moderate
Romance: 4+ open door and fade to black

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ARC/ALC Book Review: Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods

July 12, 2025June 28, 2025 GoodeyReadsLeave a comment

Rating: ★★★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 368 pages
Author: Lenora Woods
Publisher: Dell
Release Date: July 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Two fledgling tabletop gamers find themselves falling for each other—both in and out of their weekly D&D sessions—in this charming, fantasy-tinged romance.

For years, Sadie Brooks has declined her best friend’s standing invitation to join his Dungeons & Dragons campaign. But when she unexpectedly loses her marketing job and flees New York City to spend the summer with him in small-town Texas, she also runs out of excuses to say no.

In the game, she becomes Jaylie, a powerful and self-assured human cleric blessed by the Goddess of Luck with spells to heal her companions. But in real life, Sadie believes her luck has run out, and she hopes the distraction will give her time to clear her head and plan next steps.

She never expected Noah Walker—the handsome, outgoing bartender roped into joining them—to factor into that plan. Like Sadie, he’s new in town. But with a taste for adventure, Noah never stays in one place for long. He’s something of a traveling bard—just like his character Loren, the charismatic, lute-strumming elf. While Jaylie finds herself succumbing to the bard’s charms over the course of their party’s travels, Sadie also begins to fall under Noah’s spell.

As their relationship progresses in both worlds, Sadie can’t help but wonder if they might last beyond the game. But when a surprising new opportunity opens in New York, she must face the truth about why she lost her job in the first place—and whether she and Noah have found something in Texas worth staying for. Torn between her career dreams in the city and the exciting uncertainty of a new adventure, she will have no choice but to roll the dice.

Thank you to Dell Romance and PRH Audio for the gifted ARC and audiobook.

IT WAS SWEET.

I love reading romances set in Texas so I had to have my hands on this one. It was cute! If you’re looking for a low angst, low tension, easy kind of romance, this would fit that bill. There’s not a lot to it and that’s kind of the charm? The plot isn’t heavy and sometimes that’s exactly what you need. I liked seeing Sadie learn what direction she wanted to take and finding the way to get there. Her chemistry with Noah was solid and they were both sweet one each other.

The one thing I struggled with was the multiple D&D/role playing scenes. I felt they kind of took over the story and I wanted more connection and build in the real time story rather than being stuck in the game for maybe 30%? or so of the book.

I liked it enough to read another by this author though. It was a genuine slow burn and the third act didn’t make me want to rage and I appreciate that.

Overall audience notes: